Vlrb20det Electrical Help

[RiCkY TuTtY]

ok, i may be a app mech but i aint no smart sparky, so if all u sparky godsends out there put ur sparkysmartness together and help me get rid of this current sucking ghost out from my car!!!

ok, so ill start from the beginning. Bought my car of my mate which was bought from someone else yeah, he planned on fixing it up but got no time, so i bought it (i had to replace the alternator *hint* cause it was shagged, and put a new battery in) and the diff which was bent. Got it on the road 2 weeks ago blah blah blah. BUT, kept noticing the volt meter was goin up and doing at random intervals mainly dropping down wen any lights were on aka indicators, brake lights, headlights etc *hint*. today it had died on me at my mates place so i thought it was an earth problem, which i had found to be the engine via body earth cable where the body connector didnt have any ground to the body which i fixed, it was good from then but then kept watching the volt meter going down and down and down and now tonight it had finally came, i have no power anymore... this was in the space of 2 weeks!. I'm assuming there is a current been drawn from somewhere (god knows) thats draining all the power thus not recharging the battery (and i dont think its the alternator either due to replacing it...) PLEASE GODSEND SPARKIES HELP!!!!

[exnizmech]

Start with replacing your battery.

[RiCkY TuTtY]

already is new

Edited August 31, 2008 by RiCkY TuTtY

[Dantay]

anything staying on like a poorly installed head unit?

[Revhead]

I'm no sparky either but I'd thinking along the same lines as Dantay, ie something not turning off. As above, stereos are a prime candidate, and if you have an amp check that too. It's also possible that the alternator is dodgy (new, reco or wrecker special?) and isn't charging properly, it could even be responsible for your power draw.

If the easy checks fail, you're down to a process of elimination. Plug into a multimeter and check for current draw, and pull fuses until you notice it drop. Something on that circuit is staying on and draining your power.

[Col-GTSX]

Couple fo quick q's

1. How are you measuring the voltage??? (As in at what point of the system)

2. What voltage has the battery got when the car is running??? (Use a voltmeter directly from the battery terminals)

3. When the car is running is the voltage at the battery going up and down rapidly (by up and down over a volt like its almost ac power)

4. If your getting 14 odd volts when the car is running, then what voltage does the battery drop to when the head lights are switched on?

Im thinking by the sounds of your story so far that even tho the alternator may be producing some power if my have a shagged stater or brushs and hence its not putting out allot of current. So when you load up the system it does not produce enough current and slowlly but surely you run out of power. A fresh battery can last in a car for a week or so with no alternator at all so Im thinking you have no charge at all.

As for the voltage going down that you speak of yes you may have an earth issue, but the above questions will help provide/elimate a possible issue an help achieve a clearer answer.

[RiCkY TuTtY]

1. reading voltage via original guage in dash

2. 8 and lower car soon dies after start

3. use too now it just dies

4. before it use to die it did run at 14 but yes when u turn any sort of lights on goes down to 8 or lower

Cheers for the help bud its gone on the tow truck to the auto sparkies tonight should find out 2mora if its the alternator from what every

ones telling me, i hope to god it is cant afford another loom!!!

Thankyou!!!

[Col-GTSX]

Cheers for the help bud its gone on the tow truck to the auto sparkies tonight should find out 2mora if its the alternator from what every

Sorry ive been on a regional trip with work so i didnt have internet for the last 4 days...

I guess you have sorted it out now?

Just at a long shot guess Id say the alternator is not putting out many amps, it will have a faulty stator or the brushs will be fraged...

[RiCkY TuTtY]

no worries bud, got it back from the auto sparkies and was told it was faulty goin TO the alternator actually wasnt the alternator lol. Wat i have to do now is wen i start the car up, after a few seconds i have to get it revving to about 3000rpm for the alternator to kick in....? weird isnt it but its all good now the only problem i have left to fix is the overboosting it has (25psi above 3500rpm lol) should only be faulty actuator (rb20det one) cuase it has the rb25 turbo on it now and still doing the same thing even before swapping turbos over but oh well soon find out when i change the actuator... Cheers bud for ur help!

[Col-GTSX]

Yeah or the cable from the battery to the alternator could be faulty too

Its fairly rare for a mains cable to fark out...

I was gonna suggest do a voltage drop test on that cable, but it was a long shot and was not sure if you knew how to test for VD...

[RiCkY TuTtY]

quite random wasnt it? its ok it only cost me 100 all up to get fixed and all the rest